Forever and Always
by behindthemasquerade
Summary: When Duncan is murdered, Courtney doesn't think she can go on with her life.But when Duncan begins to haunt her, her world is changed forever. Can Courtney go on with a dead boyfriend,and can she find Duncan's murderer before time runs out?
1. It Hurts

I'd never seen such a dark sky before. No stars, no moon. Just blackness. It matched my mood perfectly.

I couldn't move. I couldn't speak. I'd run out of tears hours ago. The little wooden skull laid at my feet, staring up at me. Reminding me of him.

Duncan, my Duncan, had been murdered. Shot in the chest, right through the heart. And I was the one who found him.

***Flashback***

It was six o clock last night, and Duncan hadn't picked me up yet for our dinner date. I kept checking my watch, wondering what could be keeping him. He _knew _I was impatient, so he was never late for our dates. I decided that he had taken a nap and was running a bit behind. I called him, hoping to wake him up, but he didn't answer. Duncan wasn't a heavy sleeper, _everyone_ knows that. And he always answers his phone. I even set a special ring tone for when I called; my song" My Prince Will Be" from Total Drama Action. It was then that I realized that something was terribly wrong.

"Mom, I'm going out!" I called over my shoulder as I pulled on my trench coat, grabbed the keys to my black Volkswagen Beetle , and dashed out the door into the stormy evening. Thunder clapped, and lightening split the sky. Although I jumped, I knew that I couldn't let this damned storm stop me from getting to Duncan.

As I drove down the road, my light brown hair plastered to my face, I attempted to comfort myself.

"He probably lost his phone." I mumbled quietly, gripping the steering wheel for dear life. "Yeah. That has to be it. He lost his phone." Thunder boomed, and I took a deep breath. "Chill out, Courtney. Quit being such a pussy." Suddenly, a large mass appeared in front of me, and I slammed hard on the breaks just in time.

"What the _fuck _is that?" I yelled, beeping my horn instinctively. "Perfect! Just perfect! It's a fucking tree!" I realized, pulling the keys out of the ignition and leaning my head against the steering wheel, creating a seemingly hours long honk.

"Damn it!" I cried out, and the rain seemed to dance louder on the roof of my car, mocking me. "Now what am I supposed to do?" Finally I lifted my head from the steering wheel and the beep cut off abruptly. I glanced from the tree, to the sidewalk, to the tree, and back to the sidewalk. Somehow, I knew what I had to do.

Silently cursing the entire time, I ripped off my shoes, through open the door, and started off for Duncan's house.

I've never had a problem with navigation before. I am a CIT, after all. But I had never navigated in the pouring rain! The road was completely deserted, obviously because the weatherman had issued a flood warning, tornado watch, and a million other things that convinced everyone to stay indoors. Of course, here I was, running down the sidewalk on a tree lined street. How much of an idiot could I be?

I'm not sure how long I ran for, but it seemed like ages before I reached Duncan's spacious two story colonial. His parents were out of town for the weekend, and he had the entire house to himself. His leaf green Jeep Wrangler was parked in the driveway, yet all of the lights in the house were off. A feeling of dread was knotting in my stomach, making me cringe.

"Duncan!" I yelled as I banged on the door while repeatedly ringing the doorbell.

"Hello? Duncan?" It was impossible to look through the windows, because the curtains were pulled. "If you don't answer this mother fucking door I am coming inside!" No answer. Where the hell was he? This wasn't like him at all.

"Okay, I'm coming in!" Armed with a bobby pin to pick the lock, I jingled the doorknob, and it opened easily. _That was simpler than I expected, _I thought as I entered the Hastings house.

"Hello?" I called, and my voice echoed through the halls. I expected Duncan to jump out from behind something and scare me at any minute. What I _didn't _expect was the putrid odor that invaded my nostrils. I know that Duncan was messy, but did he not know how to clean?

"Duncan Andrew Hastings, where the hell are you?" the smell got harder and harder to bear as I neared the kitchen. It smelled like rotting food and dirty gym socks mixed together. Fear had enveloped my thoughts, and a flood of "what ifs" crashed into my brain. The smell was unbearable now. It burned my eyes.

My vision blurred by tears, I stood in front of the kitchen door. Slowly, I placed my trembling hand on the doorknob, but hesitated. I called Duncan's name once more.

"You are a **CIT,** Courtney Michelle. You can do anything." And with that, I flung open the door and screamed at what I saw.

Duncan was laying on the floor , surrounded by a crimson pool of blood . His clothes were soaked through and through with it. A bullet hole was visible right where his heart was.

"Oh my god! Duncan!"

***End Flashback***

It hurts. It hurts so bad that I just want to die. At least if I died, I'd be with Duncan.

"Courtney, sweetie, sitting here isn't going to bring Duncan back." my mother's soothing voice cooed from the doorway. "I know you loved him. But as the old saying goes, if you love someone, let them go."

"**No!**" I screamed at her, my head whipping around furiously to glare at her. "I refuse to let Duncan go! Just because you hated him and wanted me to marry some Harvard graduate doesn't mean **anything**. Duncan _is, _and always will be, my love, and I don't give a flying **fuck **what you think!" my mother silently retreated back into the house, no doubt upset with how I'd treated her. I really didn't give a damn. I just wanted Duncan.

A/N: Okay, don't be too harsh for me. Did it suck? Was it okay? Should I continue? Please tell me in a review. Flame me if need be. Give me criticism. Thanks for reading!


	2. The Funeral

A/N: Please read this! **Okay, so I got some reviews for my first chapter and thanks again to the people who wrote those reviews. This chapter was really really sad to write, and I actually did find myself tearing up at times. But that's not my point, lol. I don't usually write my author notes in the beginning of chapters, because I want people to get reading right away. However, I felt like I had to write one so I wouldn't get unnecessary flames. I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH GWEN, I REPEAT, I HAVE NO PROBLEM WHATSOEVER **WITH GWEN, but this story is written from Courtney's point of view, and there is some Gwen bashing. So don't yell at me, okay? I'm doing this from Courtney's POV, not mine. Besides, that DxG vs. DxC battle isn't what fan fiction is all about anyway. Well, with that said, here is Chapter 2 of Forever and Always!

I woke up at noon the next day in my bed, the pitter- patter of rain drops the only sound other than silence. I wanted so much to pretend that the last two days has just been a terrible nightmare, but I knew it was no use pretending. The wooden skull was lodged under my pillow, creating an uncomfortable lump. Silently, I realized that that little skull was the only piece of Duncan I had left. Sure, I'd have my memories, but you couldn't hold a memory. You couldn't sleep with a memory under your pillow. You couldn't touch a memory. And you most certainly couldn't kiss a memory because it was the closest thing to your dead boyfriend that you had. I'm sure Duncan wouldn't want me acting like this over a skull, but what was I supposed to do?

"Courtney?" my mother knocked on my door, peeking her head inside my immaculate room. Still furious with her, I turned away. " It's almost time to go." The familiar ache in my chest had returned, like there was a gaping whole in my heart that could only be fixed by one person and one person only. Why did it have to be Duncan? Why him? He didn't have any enemies. He was a good person once you got past his tough as nails exterior. He was my neanderthal, and he was dead. **Dead**.

Unable to control my emotions, I began to sob. I sobbed as I got dressed, and I sobbed as I walked downstairs. I sobbed all the way to the funeral home, and even when I didn't have any tears left, I still sobbed on the inside. My parents led me inside, solemn expressions on their faces. The first person I saw was my best friend Bridgette.

"Courtney!" she threw her arms around me and we hugged tightly. "I'm so sorry." she whispered, and all I could do was nod. Why was she sorry? It's not like saying sorry was going to bring him back. **Nothing** was going to bring him back. From the corner of my eye, I saw Heather standing near Lindsay by the entrance to the viewing room.

"She looks terrible. Has she ever heard of concealer?" Heather scoffed in her ever so bitchy tone, and Lindsay giggled like the air head she was. I cut off the hug with Bridgette and started towards them, my hands balled up into fists. Bridgette grabbed my arm and pulled me back.

"Don't pay any attention to them." she whispered, and I decided that Bridgette was right and that I shouldn't make Duncan's service all about me. So, all I did was shoot them both my coldest 'fuck you' glare, and walked into the viewing room, my arm linked with Bridgette's.

A line had already formed in front of Duncan's casket, which was, _oh my god_, **open**. I turned around as quickly as I could and started for the door.

"Courtney, you have to give him one final goodbye." Bridgette insisted, turning me back around.

"I can't," I whispered, my eyes burning, and my voice cracking.

"Dudette," Geoff appeared by my side, looking odd and uncomfortable in his dark suit. "How are you holding up?" he gave me a tight hug, and it felt good to be surrounded by the people I loved.

"Not well. Not well at all." I managed to choke out, and for probably the first time in his life, Geoff frowned.

"I can't believe Duncan's dead. I mean, can you imagine him just laying them, a bullet hole in this chest, surrounded by blood," Bridgette elbowed him in the ribs, and he finally realized what he said wrong. "Oh, I'm sorry Court," I batted the air with my hand, sniffling.

"Don't worry about it." I whispered, and proceeded to stand in line. There were so many people here for Duncan. Granted, most of them were Total Drama contestants, but still, there was a lot. In front of me stood Owen, Trent, Sierra, and then , Gwen. The little bitch who tried to break Duncan and me up in season three, and my mortal enemy.

_Breathe Courtney. Breath. This is for Duncan. Don't ruin it._

I kept offering for people to go in front of me, trying to buy myself some time to think of what to say to him. My plan worked for awhile until everyone was finished paying their respects, and I was the only one left to go. As I slowly walked towards the mahogany casket, my heart pounding in my chest, I somehow found more tears to cry. What had they done to him?

His piercings were all removed, his green mohawk had disappeared, there was no little tuft of hair under his bottom lip, and he was dressed in a suit. The person laying there wasn't Duncan. It wasn't a punk. It wasn't a juvenile delinquent. It wasn't my boyfriend.

All eyes on me, I knelt down before him, putting one of my hands on his.

_Hi, Duncan, _I thought, hoping that wherever he was he could hear me. _You are a Neanderthal, and an ogre. And I'm hopelessly in love with you. It's all I can say. I'll love you till the end of time, and I'm going to miss you like crazy. However, I'm positive that you'll always watch over me. Please, never leave me. I refuse to say goodbye to you because goodbye means that I'll never see you again. But I know that I will see you again someday, and that's good enough for me. So, wait for me, okay? See you soon._

Wiping my eyes, I stood up and hurried to take my seat in the front aisle next to Mr. and Mrs. Hastings, and Duncan's older brothers.

The service was about three hours long. Everyone wanted to say something, with the exception of Gwen, Heather and Justin. I figured that Justin and Heather didn't want to say anything because they're too into themselves to give a shit about anyone else, but Gwen? Duncan and her were best friends during most of the Total Drama seasons, so it struck me as a bit peculiar that she didn't want to speak. Mrs. Hastings nudged me in the arm, breaking me out of my thoughts.

"Go ahead, dear. " I hadn't planned a speech! What was I going to say? For the second time, all eyes were on me as I stood up at the pedestal. Finally, after pondering for a second about how to start, I took a deep breath and began my speech.

"Duncan always called me princess, and although I hate to admit it, I actually liked it. When I first met him, I called him quiet a few things that I won't mention.," a mess of humorless laughs came from the audience. "But as the first season of Total Drama progressed, I fell head over heels in love with him. It wasn't because he was a bad boy, no. It was because Duncan was _real, _and knew who he was. He didn't care about what other people thought about him because he was his own person. Duncan knew how to **live**. It was so easy for him to make friends, and if you had Duncan on your side, you had a friend for life, because he was the most loyal person in the entire world. It's not fair that he had to leave us this early, but he made every day count when he was alive. Not many people knew the real him, but I did. He was an amazing person with a heart of gold, and I'm going to miss him. But he'll always be with us, because Duncan believes in forever and always, and knowing him, he isn't going to let death stand in the way of what he believes in."

My speech has most of the assembly in tears, and when I saw everyone else cry, I began to cry. Whoever had murdered Duncan was going to pay for what they did. I would personally make sure of it.


	3. Don't You Dare Call Me Princess

Seeing Duncan being lowered into the ground simply broke my heart. It was the final time I'd see him in this world. And the worst part was that no one had any idea who killed him. Not a **clue**. It made me wonder if anyone was even trying.

After Duncan was completely six feet under, the crowd surrounding the grave dispersed. So many people, driving away, getting on with their lives, while my life was frozen in time, waiting for what could never be.

"Courtney, it's best we be going," my dad placed his strong hand on my shoulder, yet it didn't comfort me like it usually did.

"Please, let me stay." I pleaded, and he removed his hand without objection. I would have at least thought that he would try to talk me out of it.

"Don," my mother whispered, but my father cut her off. All I could do was listen. I didn't want to turn around.

"He meant everything to her." and with that, mom and dad were gone. The sun was setting behind the trees, casting a golden glow over the entire cemetery. The rain clouds had disappeared, the sun able to take it's final bow before the curtain of night fell. Did the sun ever get to say goodbye before the moon took it's place? Did he get to tell the people close to him that he loved them?

Suddenly, the pain I felt was overwhelming, like the hole in my heart was being stretched to it's limits. I couldn't take it. Duncan was gone for good, and I would **never** see him again. He didn't give a damn about forever and always, because forever and always was impossible when you were dead! Defeated, wholly and completely, I fell to my knees over his grave.

"No!" I screamed, pounding on the dirt, attempting to dig up the past. "Duncan!" Dirt was flying everywhere, burning my eyes, sticking to my eyelashes. I was covered from head to toe with the stuff.

"Hey, hey," a muscular arm slid around my waist and easily lifted me off the ground.

"Duncan?" I whimpered, but when I looked up at the face of my savior, it wasn't Duncan's face I saw. It was Justin's. But I didn't care who it was, I just needed someone. I buried my face in his chest, and blushed slightly at how dirty I was, and how my dirty was rubbing off on his Armani Exchange suit. "I, just, miss," I began to sob uncontrollably, tears poring down my face.

"You miss him. I know. It'll be okay." he stroked my hair, and it reminded me of the way Duncan used to when we laid on the couch together. How nice it felt…..

_Stop Courtney, _I thought angrily, _don't let this pretty boy try and get you when you're most vulnerable to his charm. You cannot fall under his spell. _"Princess," Justin's voice was soft and melodic, but I pushed him away angrily, and he set me down on the ground.

"Don't you **dare** call me princess. I am Princess to only one person, and that person is sure as hell not **you**." and then I did what I did best, kneed him in his manhood. Quickly, I turned on my heels and stomped away, laughing humorlessly at the sound of him moaning in pain. I bet he never got _that_ reaction from a girl before.

"Courtney, wait up!" he yelled, and I could hear his footsteps coming up behind me. Boy, this guy recovered _fast_. The sky was rapidly growing darker, so I figured suddenly that I would humor him, and get a ride home out of the deal.

"What?" I turned around, and popped out my hip in the way that drove guys crazy.

"At least let me give you a ride home. " he flashed me that smile of his, and as much as I hated looking at it, I forced myself to smile back.

"You really want a mess like me in your car?" a horrid feeling of betrayal was now piling on my shoulders, but I reminded myself that it was _because_ of Duncan that I knew how to con my way into getting what I wanted. Justin's Colgate smile had turned into a full on smirk as he led me to his candy apple red Ferrari. _Jeeze_, I thought, _his modeling career really took off_. He opened my door for me, and I slid inside without thanking him.

"So, how long were you and Duncan dating for before he died?" This guy was not only a player, he was vapid as well. I had barely been in the car for a minute, and I already was dying to hop out, dart into my house, and never look back. I opened my mouth to curse him out with my colorful vocabulary, but closed my eyes and remained silent. It was only a couple more blocks to my house now.

"Okay, stupid question, sorry." he apologized, and all I could do was shrug. I wanted to claw his eyes out and feed them to him, that's how mad I was. I wondered if he noticed that the color of my face was rivaling the color of his car.

I'd never been more relieved in my entire life when he pulled over in front of my house.

"!" I spoke quickly, my words coming out a bit jumbled. Before he could say anything to me, I slammed the car door and dashed into my house. It was dark, signaling that mom and dad had retired early. Now what if I had needed a ride home? Who was I going to ask then? Crazy Dave, the guy with stickers covering his car, who practically lived at McDonalds? (A/N: I actually have a guy like that in my town. He is so creepy! Anyway, back to the story…..)

As I ascended the stairs, I heard the faint sound of my TV. The weird thing was, I hadn't left the TV on. I hadn't watched TV in awhile, actually. I blew it off, because I had other things to worry about, **bigger** things, besides my unreliable television. All I wanted to do was collapse on my bed and fall asleep. It had been a long, exhausting day.

When I walked into my room, I gasped. All of my clothes were strewn around the room, covering the floor. My bras hung from my curtain rod, and my underwear was taped onto my walls. The TV was on a constant loop, and the thing that was looping was my first kiss with Duncan on Total Drama Island. My hand flew up to cover my mouth so I wouldn't scream. What kind of sick joke was this? Who had done this to my room? Still in shock, I turned to my mirror, and my terror rose to new heights. There, in Duncan's sloppy hand writing, was a message written with my favorite mocha lipstick.

_Princess,_

_Nothing, not even death, can stop me from being with you._

_-Duncan_

And below my mirror sat a ring box.

A/N: Okay, this chapter completely sucked, I know. But I just love writing this story J Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, put me on their alerts, and/or favorite me. You guys are what keep my writing! P.S.- Constructive criticism is accepted, and totally encouraged! Thanks again everyone, and I promise to update again soon!


	4. Old Spice Aftershave

The room was so cold. Colder than a swimming pool in the middle of winter. Colder than my heart had been after Duncan died. All I could do is stare at my mirror, barely able to make out the words of the message through my blurred vision. But I knew what they are. I'd memorized them already. The ring box sat on my dresser, beckoning me with it's soft velvet exterior. Velvet. Like Duncan's voice. Like Duncan's lips. Why did everything have to remind me of Duncan? Why was life so cruel? Why did life take Duncan away from me?

Slowly, gathering up all the courage I could, I inched closer and closer towards my dresser. I wondered what was going on here, and why the hell my room was so cold. I picked up the ring box, running each of my fingers over the smooth top. Suddenly, the smell of Old Spice filled my room. Old Spice Aftershave. **Duncan.** No. It couldn't be. Duncan was dead. D-E-A-D. What was happening to me? Was I going crazy? I placed the ring box down on my dresser, looking down at it, expecting it to turn into dust and blow out my window. Nothing of that sort happened, and I hung my head in desperation.

"Wake up." I begged myself, my eyes on the floor. "You're dreaming! WAKE UP!" My head snapped up, and for a spilt second, there was another face in the mirror next to mine. The face belonged to Duncan. And as the smell of Old Spice swirled around me, I knew that this was no dream. Duncan was here with me. I probably should have been terrified, no, extremely terrified, but I wasn't. I was filled with sweet elation, practically bubbling over with joy simply from the fact that love knew no boundaries, including death.

"Duncan," I whispered, letting tears stream down my face. It felt good to cry tears of joy for once. "It's really you." slowly, the hole in my heart was getting tinier and tinier, a feeling that made me want to walk on air. There was no answer, but his smell and presence remained. My cell phone rang, breaking the silence. I had been so still, that I jumped practically 5 feet in the air.

_You made a rebel from a careless mans careful daughter,You are the best thing,That's ever been mine….._

My fingers slipped and slid on the keys as I put the phone up to my ear.

"Let's make a midnight run to the diner." Bridgette's voice was soft, and pleading. I glanced back at the mirror, and I was shocked to see that the lipstick message was gone. The room had warmed up, and my TV shut off. The only thing that remained was the ring box. Had I imagined the entire thing? Was I loosing my mind? Was sanity slipping away from me? I **couldn't** have imagined it, the ring box was **RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME**! God, I was so confused. "Courtney? Hellllloooooo?"

"Oh, sorry, Bridge…" My mind snapped back into reality, and I frowned. I wanted to go with her, I really did, but I didn't want to leave Duncan, if he actually was here.

"You really can't say no, Courtney, because I'm already outside in your driveway. So just hurry up!" she demanded, and I sighed. "Tick tock," she sang in her melodic voice, and I knew I couldn't say no. She was just trying to be a good friend for the girl who's boyfriend died, and I appreciated her friendship more than anything right now.

"I'm coming," I agreed softly, and the line clicked. For the slightest moment, I felt a breeze against my cheek. My heart longed to stay and wait for him to come and save me from the living hell that had become my life, but if I wasted my life waiting for something that may never come, I'd die old and alone. I reached for my purse, my eyes resting on the ring box. Without thinking, I stuffed it in my purse, along with my cell phone, and tiptoed out of my house.

Bridgette grinned when she saw me, tucking a lock of honey blonde hair behind her ear. It was then that I made the split decision: Tell her about what I think I saw, or don't. Would she tell me that I'd gone off the deep end, or would she believe me and support me, and, oh who was I kidding? She'd drop me off at the closest mental institution and drive off without looking back. But I wouldn't blame her. I mean, if I was her, I'd do it!

"I hate my mom." I growled as I slipped into her white Mini Cooper convertible, and she laughed.

"She's nice to me," I rolled my eyes at her as she backed out of my driveway and we started towards the Late Bite Diner, our favorite hangout spot.

Duncan had found out soon after season 3 that I wasn't always uptight, especially when it came to my parents. I broke _all_ of their rules, including the 'no sneaking out after curfew' and 'no dating anyone who has a criminal record'. I lived my life following my own personal quote: Once you break one rule, you've got to break them all.

"That's because you're not her daughter." I threw my hands up dramatically, and then crossed my arms over my chest. My hair was whipping around due to the forceful wind, and I closed my dark eyes.

"On the phone earlier, you sounded a little shaken up. Everything alright over there? Is that why you hate your mom all of a sudden?" she questioned, not phased my the wind.

"No. My mom just doesn't understand what I'm going through." I shook my head, never feeling so alone in my entire life. "She's always had the perfect life, and now her _prized daughter _is ruining it."

"You're not ruining her life, Courtney," Bridgette's eyes never left the road. "But she's not used to seeing you like this, so it's hurting her as well. She's worried about you." _Ugh. _Why did she always have to be right?

As she went on with her wisdom filled speech, I found my mind wandering to the ring box in my purse. Before I could reach for it, we pulled into the parking lot of the diner.

"Did you hear a word I just said?" Bridgette inquired, getting out of the car. "Courtney? Earth to Courtney!"

" I'm coming!" I snapped, my head slowly floating back down to the ground.

"Oh, great." Bridgette stopped short, making a gagging sound.

"What?" I questioned, peeking around her.

"Ale-_man whore _and She Devil are in there sucking face." She scoffed, narrowing her eyes. I simply shrugged.

"Let them suck face. It's not like they're bothering us." Besides, why was Bridgette complaining about people sucking face? I mean, it was basically all her and Geoff did.

I took her hand and dragged her inside the cozy diner, where I came face to face with the person I hated most on the entire planet.

A/N- So, I rewrote this chapter like a kagillion times, and finally settled with this. I really hope you liked it. Please review! Don't be too harsh ;) P.S.- Courtney's ringtone is Mine By Taylor Swift, if you were wondering. XOXO- Karli


	5. Perfect Just Perfect

**A/N- I am SO sorry. I am on vacation right now, and I haven't had any time to finish this chapter. But I felt so guilty about my last authors note, and I knew that I had to finish it, so here it is. I apologize for the shortness. Again, I'm so sorry! The summer is almost over for me, and I promise to get another chapter up soon. Sooner than this one, promise. Thank you to everyone who reads this story. Review or not, alert or not, favorite or not, you're AWESOME! (: So, without further ado, here is chapter 5 of Forever and Always!**

**Chapter 5!**

"Mom? What the hell are you doing here?" my jaw dropped, and my mother's face flooded with guilt. "What are you _doing_ here?" I repeated, articulating every word.

"I could ask you the same thing," my mother retarded, sticking her tiny upturned nose in the air. Her icy blue eyes had grown dark.

"I'm a teenager, I'm supposed to be doing things like this! What's you're excuse?" I jabbed my finger at her, and her mouth fell open in shock. Before she could reply to my comment, our conversation was interrupted by a voice I knew all too well.

"Giovanna, are you ready?" The tanned man whore stepped beside my mother, and I gasped.

"Justin? You're on a date with Justin?" In the corner booth, Heather and Alejandro were snickering loudly, amused and entertained by the family drama that was unfolding right before their very eyes. **No. **This could **not **be happening to me. My mother was **not** a cougar!

"It's not what it looks like, princess," Justin insisted, his voice smooth. Suddenly, the fury that had been building up inside of me like a rollercoaster climbing to it's peak burst.

"Don't call me princess! I will chop off your mother fucking head if you call me princess one more time," Justin stepped back, shielding his face. What a pathetic, vain, douche bag.

"Courtney!" my mother gasped at my sudden outburst, and I scowled at her. How could my mother do this to me? It was **Justin**! She was **twice his age! **

"You're sick!" I spat, disgust lacing my words. "Both of you! Do you understand how this could make my life even worse than it already is?" I snapped, crossing my arms over my chest, my eyes ablaze with anger. Heather had begun snapping pictures, ready to sell this deliciously dramatic story to the tabloids. Bridgette protectively placed her arm around my shoulders, an we turned to leave.

"Courtney, I am your mother, and I demand you,"

"You can't demand me to do anything! Because you're not my mother. You're dead to me!" Dead. The word had unfortunately become a regular part of my vocabulary. My mother stood there, stunned, her eyes wide.

"Please, Courtney," Justin placed his hand on my shoulder, but I forcibly shoved it off.

"Come on, Bridgette, let's go." Completely numb, I took Bridgette's hand in mind. Silently we exited the tense atmosphere, warm, salty tears threatening to fall. It was times like these where I just wanted Duncan to hold me forever, stroking my hair, whispering sweet things softly into my ear… But the days of those things were over, and could **never** be again.

"Courtney, are you alright?" Bridgette questioned as we pulled out of the parking lot, leaving Justin and the Cougar way behind.

"Of course I'm not okay!" I screamed, but quickly contained myself and apologized. I hadn't meant to sound so harsh. But it was hard, and getting harder with every passing second.

"I understand, Courtney. It's hard." Exactly. She was exactly right. Life had been so easy for me before, and now, it was hard. Very, very hard. Why couldn't anything just stop? Why couldn't I rewind back to a better time? Why did life have to be like this?"

Suddenly, the sky broke, and an opaque curtain of rain poured down on us and the interior of the car.

"Oh shit!" Bridgette screeched, immediately soaked from the bucketfuls of rain coming from overhead. "The forecast didn't call for rain!" In panic, she slammed her foot down on the pedal, and soon we were zooming down the slick road, headed for shelter, at 80 mph.

"Bridgette, stop!" I yelled, but she didn't ease her foot.

"I can't!" she screamed above the roar of the whipping wind. "The break isn't working. My entire world slowed then, and I felt as if I was cursed with an infinite amount of bad luck. First Duncan dying, then my mom becoming a cougar, and now Bridgette and I were about to be in a major car wreck. Perfect. Just perfect. As I closed my eyes, his face popped into my mind.

"Duncan….." I whispered in realization. If he really was a ghost, he could help us, right? "Bridge, he's a guardian angel! He'll help us!"

"Duncan? A guardian angel? This isn't the time to get all spiritual on me, Courtney! We have bigger problems, if you haven't noticed!" Her eyes were practically bugging out of her head, full of fear. A familiar feeling then washed over me, a chill slithering down my spine like a snake, and somehow, I knew he was in the car with us.

"Bridgette, you have to trust me on this. Take your hands off the wheel." We were drenched now, and I could barely see my trembling hand in front of my face.

"Are you fucking insane?"

"Take your hands off the damn wheel, Bridgette!" I ordered, my voice hoarse from screaming. Reluctantly and hesitantly, she removed her hands from the steering wheel, cringing all the while. The car swerved all by itself, and I let out a choked sob. Suddenly, we were halted by the side of the road, very much alive. Lightning crackled in the sky.

"Courtney?" Bridgette's voice was shaky and uneasy.

"Yes Bridgette?"

"Did that really just happen?" For once in my life, I didn't know what to say. I'd always been so witty, so able to fire words at people, almost as if shooting them out of a cannon. But now, nothing. My mind was completely and utterly blank.

"Yeah," I managed to say, not knowing if it was true or not. We couldn't be dreaming. This was surely a work of something very much above us. But was is Duncan? Could it really be him? We both sat in silence on the side of the road, breathing heavily, our hearts beating fast.

"Cars don't swerve and pull over to the side of the road by themselves….." Bridgette mumbled, biting her thumbnail. "How did you know that it was going to stop?" her warm hazel eyes turned to me, glossy with an odd mixture of terror and relief. "How did you know that was going to happen?"

"If I told you, you wouldn't believe me," I replied, purposely avoiding her innocent gaze.

"Try me," she challenged, leaning back in the soaked car seat.

"I think Duncan is haunting me." Bridgette's voice was exactly the way I expected it to be. It bore a look that said "Court, you've gone totally insane." For evidence, I reached down into my purse and pulled out the velvet ring box.

"After Justin brought me home from the funeral," I began, but Bridgette cut me off.

"_Who_ brought you home?" my dark eyes narrowed, and inside I vowed never to speak his name again.

"Not my point," I snapped, and Bridgette motioned for me to continue with my proof.

"I found my bras and panties all over the place, the TV on replay of our first kiss on TDI, and a message."

"A message? Court, you're scaring me." Scaring her? I was the one who had to go through this damned nightmare of a life!

"Written in my favorite mocha lipstick were the words 'Nothing, not even death, can stop me from being with you'." I explained, and I realized that Bridgette probably thought that she was sitting in a car with a psychopath. Nonetheless, I had to make her believe me. "And then there was this ring box. I closed my eyes, and everything disappeared, but this remained." Bridgette took a shaky breath, and laid her eyes on the ring box.

"What's inside?" she questioned, obviously still skeptical.

"I haven't opened it yet." the familiar chill slithered down my spine once more, and I knew it was time to open the ring box. Slowly, I lifted the lid, and inside was an eyebrow ring, a nose ring, and a few earrings. Bridgette gasped, and I opened my mouth to say something, anything, but nothing came out.

"You aren't lying, huh?" she asked after a long period of silence, and I shook my head. Finally, I'd passed over the obstacle of making her believe me. I now had someone on my side.

**A/N- I hope you liked it! Flames and constructive criticism is accepted, just don't be too harsh on me, please. I can't say it enough- thank you for reading! Until next chapter, tah tah ;)**


	6. Suspects and Dorothy

_Forever and Always- Chapter 6_

**Location- Starbucks**

**Date/Time- July 16th**** 1:30 AM**

I sat across from Geoff and Bridgette in the last booth in the back of Starbucks, the magazine in my hands laughing at me, mocking me.

"Who did this?" I yelled, startling an old couple on the other side of the room. I slammed the glossy pages of Drama Drama magazine on the table, furious. "Whoever did this is going to die."

"Quiet, Court," Geoff whispered, pulling the magazine away from me before I could tear it apart with my teeth. Who would do such a thing?

The big, black block letters filled my vision, a constant reminder that this wasn't a nightmare. It was painfully real.

**Duncan Hastings Commits Suicide**

**Drove Insane By His CIT Girlfriend Courtney Maxwell**

**Get The Full Story Here!**

Seriously? Duncan and I had been going strong up until he was murdered. Someone was obviously attempting to conjure up some mega drama, and whoever it was wouldn't get away with it. And then it hit me- Chris!

"That son of a bitch!" I growled, fury blazing like a forest fire in my dark eyes. "Chris is behind this entire thing!" I whipped out my phone, prepared to call my lawyer, but then realized that the only lawyer who had stuck around was my mom, and I didn't plan on talking to her for awhile. Slowly, I shoved my phone back into the pocket of my jeans.

"Of course!" Bridgette agreed, nodding. "Even after Total Drama is over, he's _still _causing drama!"

"He's going down." I vowed, crushing my empty styrofoam coffee cup in my tiny hand.

"To funky town?" Geoff questioned excitedly. Bridgette elbowed him in the ribs, and he groaned.

"What are you planning on doing, Courtney?" Bridgette asked skeptically, her eyes uneasily looking me over. I sighed, tapping my finger on my chin. Finally, I came to a conclusion.

"Nothing." Both Bridgette and Geoff's eyes grew wide.

"Nothing?" They repeated in unison, and I nodded.

"We'll let Chris enjoy his drama. That is, until I find out who really killed Duncan." I smirked, and pulled out my blackberry once more. "I have a list of suspects already. All I need is the permission to interrogate them, and we'll be set." Geoff's face flooded with genuine confusion. Apparently he hadn't seen CSI before.

"How are you going to get permission to interrogate them?" Bridgette questioned, propping her head up on her hands.

"Easy." I batted my hand in the air. "I'll ask Duncan's dad." Of course, I had no idea if he'd say yes or not. I mean, what could a 20 year old do to solve the biggest murder case this town had ever seen? But I was going to try anyway, for Duncan.

"Who's on the suspect list, anyway?" this was the question I prayed I wouldn't be asked. But if I wanted to solve this case, it had to be done. I paused, and slid my phone over to the couple.

"Everyone."

**Location- The Police Headquarters**

**Date/Time- July 16****th**** 10:14 AM**

"Commissioner Hastings, I completely comprehend that I am not a professional detective, nor authorized to interrogate these suspects," I began my speech, sliding the paper of suspects over to Duncan's father, who was also the police commissioner. I'd gotten a meeting with him immediately, being his dead sons girlfriend and everything, which worked out perfectly. "However, I believe letting me assist with this case would be most beneficial because I know how the people around here work, and I know their weaknesses. If they slip up even once, I'll be able to catch them and you'll be slapping handcuffs on them in a matter of days. So please, commissioner, grant me permission to interrogate these suspects. For Duncan's sake." My voice had cracked at the end, and I took a deep breath, attempting to keep my emotions to myself. I couldn't let anyone see that I was weak, especially the person who practically held my fate in his hands. Duncan's father leaned back in his dark leather chair, and his eyes seemed far away, deep in thought.

"Courtney, I hope you understand that this isn't a game of Clue. This is my son's murder case, and I don't want his 20 year old girlfriend screwing it up." his words were harsh, but his eyes were soft. I knew he was hurt by this entire thing too.

"Mr. Hastings, Duncan meant the world to me. Screwing this case up is the last thing I plan on doing." I stated firmly in my best lawyer voice. "I will not let my emotions blind me, and everything I do will be from a strictly professional point of view. I swear it." The next minute was torture as I saw there watching him ponder the situation at hand.

Finally, he pulled out a piece of paper filled with words in a tiny font, and signed it in three different places.

"Courtney Maxwell, you are now authorized to interrogate this list of suspects." a wave of relief crashed over me, and I smiled.

"Thank you!" I exclaimed, and I ran around the desk and hugged him. He was surprised at first, but then hugged back. "I won't let you down!" and with that, I ran out of his office and out of the Police Station into the warm summer air.

Lets rewind back to after I told Geoff and Bridgette that they were on the suspect list. They didn't really have a bitch fit like I expected them to, but they couldn't mask the shock in their eyes. Geoff was visibly pissed, because Duncan was his best friend and he would never kill him. Bridgette was more understanding, but she's _always_ understanding, so it didn't really make a difference. Geoff had pulled her out of Starbucks so fast I didn't even get a ride home. So there I was, stranded at Starbucks at 1:30 in the morning. What did I do? I hauled myself over to the police station, which was just up the road, and hung out there until Mr. Hastings showed up, which brought me to now.

I glanced down at the suspect list in my hand, and separated the likely ones from the unlikely ones. I was left with this:

Likely:

-Alejandro (Reason: He's Alejandro. Need I say more?)

-Chris (Reason: He's always thinking of new ways to stir up drama. What's more dramatic than an unsolved murder?)

-Chef (Reason: He hated Duncan in all the seasons.)

-Gwen (Reason: It was her or no one, if you catch my drift.)

-Harold (Reason: Another hatred thing.)

-Heather (Reason: She's Heather.)

-Beth (Reason: A grudge against him for winning TDA.)

Unlikely:

-Cody (Reason: Cody is a wimp.)

-DJ (Reason: Duncan's practically an animal, and DJ is against harming animals.)

-Izzy (Reason: She's psycho, but her and Duncan never had any problems.)

-Justin (Reason: Justin doesn't have a brain.)

- Katie (Reason: Obvious.)

-LaShawna (Reason: Bootylicious? I don't think so.)

-Lindsay (Reason: Lindsay couldn't hurt a fly.)

-Noah (Reason: Obvious.)

-Owen (Reason: Owen is just a big ball of fluff. He couldn't kill anyone.)

-Sadie (Reason: Obvious.)

-Sierra (Reason: She's not big on posting obituaries, much less causing them.)

-Trent (Reason: He's a big star with a great life. No need to kill anyone to get famous.)

-Tyler (Reason: I don't think wicked strong fingers could kill Duncan.)

-Bridgette (Reason: Her best friend *me!* was his girlfriend.)

-Geoff (Reason: Best friend.)

-Eva (Reason: Eva doesn't have any problems with him.)

-Ezekiel (Reason: Ezekiel hadn't been seen in years.)

So here I was, looking at a list of 7 to 17. One of these people was guilty. But who? Though many people were unlikely, I had to get an alibi from everyone. How would I round everyone up to get these alibis?

Like an answer from the heavens, my phone buzzed in my pocket. The number was one I didn't recognize, but I answered it anyway.

"Courtney, Chris here." I resisted the urge to scream a long line of colorful swearwords into the speaker.

"Chris," I managed to greet him through clenched teeth as I began walking along main street. "And to what do I owe this honor?"

"Total. Drama. Live!" I cringed at his loud outburst, pulling the phone away from me ear. Another season of Total Drama? Count me out!

"Forget it," I snarled into the speaker, but he cut me off before I could hang up.

"Don't worry, It's not another season. It's one of those where are they now shows." Chris assured me, and I shuddered. Even worse!

"You want to know where I am right now? I'm mourning the death of my fucking boyfriend!" I yelled, and some passerby's glanced worriedly at the crazy girl screaming into the phone.

"Actually, where you're going to be is on my _show_. Contract, remember?" Chris chuckled evilly. "Tomorrow. A boat will be coming to pick you up at the Muscoca dock. We're going back to the roots." Oh God. The roots? We were going back to where this entire damned thing started? I couldn't speak. My brain had completely disconnected from my mouth.

"Courtney, I will sue you if you do not show up tomorrow," Chris warned, and then, when my brain connected back to my mouth, another connection was made. With all of the Total Drama contestants back together, I could pull them aside one by one for interrogation. It was the perfect opportunity.

"Tomorrow. The dock." I repeated, attempting to mask my smug tone. Everything was falling into place. "I'll be there." Chris didn't answer, and I assumed he was stunned by my change of heart.

"You were the easiest to persuade." he admitted, and then the line went dead. Stupid, sadistic, inconsiderate Chris. He very well could be the one who killed Duncan, and if he slipped up, I'd have him, and he'd rot in a jail cell for the rest of his life. He'd probably die of hair gel deprivation first.

As I walked under the shade, past the tiny boutiques and cafes, I wondered what Duncan was thinking at this very moment. Was he doubting my strategy? Was he cheering me on? Why couldn't he just **tell me **who the killer was?

Suddenly, my hand got all tingly and a freezing cold wind ruffled the trees and my hair. My head perked up, and I glanced around.

"Duncan?" I questioned softly, feeling like a complete mental case. "Are you here?" A little sliver of me hoped that I'd get a response, but nothing came. Nothing would _ever_ come. I was snapped back into reality when a 30 year old woman tapped me on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, but aren't you Courtney Maxwell?" the tan woman with a big mess of curls atop her head questioned, and I recognized the magazine in her hand as the latest issue of Drama Drama.

"No, you have me confused with somebody else," I mumbled and turned to stroll away, but she caught my arm.

"Sure you aren't. Now honey, listen to my wisdom." she took a puff of her cigarette, and I waved the smoke away from my face. "I think you should pay a tribute to Duncan in some way, to show all the people out there that you really did care for him, and this magazine," she threw the tabloid on the ground and stomped all over it. "Is garbage." So the wisdom lady had a point.

"Who are you again?" I raised my perfectly waxed eyebrow, and she opened up her jacket to reveal the lining, which was covered with Total Drama pictures and buttons.

"Biggest Total Drama Fan ever. Runner up, that is….. If that little snob Sierra hadn't…." I was beginning to feel a tad awkward, so I cut her off.

"Okay, close your jacket." I whispered, and immediately she snapped it closed. Why was she wearing a jacket, anyway? "I think you may be right."

"I'm always right, honey. The names Dorothy Campbell, and I'm going to give you a makeover." The straightforward statement made me scrunch up my nose. I'd just met this hundred year old Total Drama Stalker, and she was already trying to get a piece of DNA, or whatever stalkers do.

"Why would you give me a makeover?"

"To pay tribute, of course." Dorothy threw the cigarette on the ground and smushed it with her heel. "I'm going to make you Duncan," alarm came to my eyes, and I considered making a run for it.

"I'm not going to actually make you him," she batted the air with her hand. "I'm just going to give you some of his characteristics. Some hair dye here, a piercing there,"

"Piercing? What do you think I am, some stupid punk?" Dorothy grinned, and grabbed my hand. Before I could object, she began dragging me along the sidewalk,

and I realized that I was totally screwed.

**A/N- Hey all! I have a feeling that this chapter may be confusing to my readers. I hope it doesn't stop you from reviewing, and favoriting, and alerting, though. Which brings me to my point. Since I only got one review last chapter, I'm able to thank the reviewer, who is ChloeRhiannonX, so, thank you! (: To everyone else, please please please review! It helps me update faster! Anywhoo, I already planned out this entire story…. So I'm not winging it! Yay! Until next chapter, see ya!**


	7. 6th Sense and Disconnected

Dorothy spun me around in the barber shop chair and I screamed.

"Oh my god!" I cried out, my hand flying up to touch my once beautiful golden

brown hair, which was now dyed midnight black with green streaks. The haircut was botched, with razored layers sticking out from my head. Thankfully, it wasn't as bad as Heather's haircut in I Triple Dog Dare You, however, it was still horrendous! My right eyebrow and nose were bright red due to the new piercings. What had this woman done to me?

"You're insane! I have a show taping tomorrow and I cannot go out looking like this!" Dorothy slunk back, hurt evident on her face. "My face! My hair! My dignity!"

"But, it's a tribute!" She whispered, tears pooling in her eyes.

"Tribute my ass! I'm outta here!" I screeched and ran out of the back room

of the barber shop. A woman was just about to unlock the door when I swung the door open. She stepped back, startled.

"How did you get in there, young lady?" She demanded, and I raised my eyebrow.

"Dorothy gave me a makeover." I gestured to my hair sarcastically. A look of fear came to her face, and her eyes grew wider than I'd ever seen.

"Dorothy?" Her words were shaky, her tone dipping and raising without warning. "Sweetie, Dorothy doesn't work here anymore."

"What do you mean?" I questioned firmly, pretty sure that I already knew the answer.

"Dorothy has been dead for 2 years. She killed herself when Gwen and Duncan kissed on Total Drama World Tour." The woman tisked tisked in pity. "It's a shame too, since Courtney and him got back together and all..." I cringed. Apparently she didn't know who I was.

"Yeah," was all I could say. I was frozen in shock. Now I was seeing dead people? How come I could see Dorothy, but not Duncan? And how was she able to talk to me and touch me? Damn it, why was this so confusing? "I, um, have to go," my eyebrows knit together in thought, I slipped past the woman and reviewed what had just happened.

So Dorothy was a ghost who just happened to be a Total Drama Super Fan, who had killed herself when Duncan and Gwen kissed on Total Drama World Tour. (Though I was flattered by this, I wondered why she would end her life over something like that.) She gave me a tribute makeover. She seemed so real!

I had to be going insane. This entire thing was impossible! Ghosts did not exist! Ghosts we're pretend things used to terrify the wits out of little children who didn't know any better. People who died didn't come back to haunt their girlfriends, and people who died didn't come back to give people tribute makeovers! This was all such a bad nightmare, and I'd wake up in Duncan's arms after falling asleep with him on the couch. He'd still be here. He'd still be alive. We'd go on with the rest of our lives, get married, have children... We'd grow old together. We'd die together, so even death couldn't do us part. That was the way it was supposed to be. That was how I'd dreamed it would be.

I had been so deep in thought that I didn't see where I was going, and walked right into something- more like someone.

"Sorry, " I apologized, going to step around the someone. Until I realized who it was.

"You know what? I take that apology back. What I meant was fuck you." I slapped Justin square across the face, hoping that for once, someone would get a picture of him striking out. His bright blue eyes narrowed as he rubbed his tanned cheek.

"Courtney, you completely misunderstood. You're mother and I were discussing _you_ last night." He explained, and I wondered what kind of an idiot he thought I was.

"You're mother has been trying to set you and me up forever, if you ever noticed." Justin held my arms with a tight grip, and I figured it was no use trying to squirm away.

"Bullshit." I spat out, my words sharp as knives.

"We had something in Total Drama Action, Courtney. You can't deny it."

"Actually I can, and I am. We had nothing."

"Look into my eyes and tell me that." I gazed up at him, and just as I was about to deny it once more, he pressed his lips to mine. Immediately I tried forcing his away from me, but this only made him pull me closer. He was crushing me against his chest, so close that I could hear his heart beating in rhythm with mine.

"Get away from me! Get away from my mom! And get the hell out of my life!" I screeched, and kneed him in the groin, hoping that he wouldn't recover as fast as he did last time. A restraining order for him was definitely number two on my list of goals, behind finding Duncan's murderer. "You come by me one more time," I threatened, my eyes darker than the midnight sky. "I'll kill you." He was still on the ground, begging for mercy as I calmly strolled away. Out of the corner of my eye, in the reflection of the hair salon window, I could swear that I saw Duncan standing across the street, laughing hysterically. The wind carried a sound past me, and I realized that the sound was a faint chuckle. My head whipped around, but there was no one where Duncan once stood. Slowly, I was beginning to understand that though this entire situation was impossible, it was impossible that it could be a dream, since I had proof. That ring box was the only thing that convinced me that I wasn't going insane. The only thing.

"Duncan," I thought, praying that wherever he was right now, he could hear me.

"I'm going to find whoever did this to you and make them pray. I swear it."

My phone began to play it's ringtone, though I had just put it on vibrate. I pulled it out of my back pocket, and I realized that my hands were trembling.

**One New Text Message**

My fingers fumbling on the practically microscopic keys, I opened up the text, and gasped.

_That's my girl._

_-Duncan_

Unable to process what was going on in my head, I squeezed my eyes shut, wondering if they were playing tricks on me. When I opened them, the message words were still there on the screen. Now, I didn't think my dead boyfriend was haunting me: I knew it.

My fingers moving over the keys fast as lightning, I typed in my response.

_Duncan-_

_Are you alright? Please tell me you are. Wherever you are, please tell me you're alright._

_-Princess_

Jus a millisecond after I sent the text, I got a reply,

_Message sending failed_

_This number has been disconnected._

How the hell could the number be disconnected if I'd just gotten a text message from it? I glanced up at the baby blue sky, sighing. A ghost could only do so much to communicate with the living.

Duncan had to be okay. Duncan was _always_ okay. He was never _not _okay. But how okay could someone be when they were dead? I don't think okay applied to the afterlife.

I locked the text message on my phone and made the quick decision of not telling anyone about it, not even Bridgette. This, if anything, was private.

Tomorrow, I'd return to Camp Wawanakwa with my head held high, ready to find the homicidal maniac that murdered the love of my life. I couldn't underestimate anyone. Even the most incapable could be capable. Heck, even the most capable could be incapable. That was the thing about crime. Nothing is **ever** black and white.

There was one suspect I did have my eye on, though. And that was no one other than Gwen. She could have killed him purely out of jealously. I mean, she did end up alone, after dumping Trent, and Duncan leaving her for me. She could've walked into his house and said "It's me or no one," and then shot him. It was a possibility.

Absentmindedly I shuddered, and I had a brief flashback of seeing him there, cold, frozen, and dead on the ground. Oh yes, she was definitely number one on my list. I imagined how good it would feel to be the one to catch her, to slap the handcuffs on her myself and read off her rights. Now that would be satisfying. Almost as satisfying as avenging Duncan's death, which I planned to do. Oh, there was no telling what I'd do to her if she turned out to be guilty.

I grinned a grin that had once belonged to a lion closing in on their kill. Now it belonged to a princess closing in on a murderer.

**A/N- Sorry for the shortness guys. I wanted to get this chapter out because I said that I would, so here it is! Please review guys, and maybe if I get more than three reviews, I may update tomorrow! I promise the next chapter will be longer. Actually, I pinky swear. And I never break pinky swears! (: So, 'till next time, readers…**


	8. Authors Note Regarding The Next Update!

**Author Note!**

So school just started for me today and I've been busy all week doing my summer work. I have gotten more than three reviews, and I'm so sorry that I said I would update but didn't. You can expect the update either tomorrow night or Sunday night. Again, I'm sincerely sorry and I pinky swear that I will update this weekend! I will do my best to write more than one chapter at a time so I don't keep anyone waiting. Thank you everyone!

XOXO,

behindthemasquerade (formerly withlovekarli, if you were wondering….)


	9. Total Drama Live and Interrogation

I stood at the edge of the Muscoca dock, silently waiting for the boat to arrive as the wind whipped through my hair. My briefcase, filled with all the information about the case lay on the rotten wooden planks beside me, and Ibegan tapping my foot. The sky was overcast, a chance of rain more than likely, and patience wasn't my forte.

I'd tried my best to make myself look at least half decent, and my attempt was successful... kinda. I'd teased my hair in the front and brushed the loose strands over it. It actually looked chic, but the black and green clashed withmy tan skin and dark eyes. Of course, I'd removed the piercings as soon as I got home yesterday. My father would kill me if he saw me with them in!

Ghost Duncan never returned to me. I laid in bed last night, glancing at the mirror, hoping that the message would appear once more. However, nothing ever came, and now I was left with lack of sleep, bags under my eyes, and amakeover that was sure to scare the wits out of Sasquantchanakwa.

Finally, after an hour of nothing but sitting and waiting, the Total Drama Island boat came into view, a little dot against the wide horizon. My heart began to thump wildly in my chest as I fully realized what was going to go down today. This very day could be the biggest day of my life, I thought, panic tightening in my chest. Emotions can't get in the way.

Sooner than I thought, the boat anchored at the dock. However, the person driving the boat wasn't Chef Hatchet, it was DJ.

"Courtney?" DJ squinted, and - forced a smile. "Damn, you look,"

"Horrible?" I finished for him, shrugging. "Tribute gone wrong." DJ's puzzled look gave way to a smile, and he chuckled, lifting me up onto the boat.

"What's with the brief case?" He questioned, starting the engine of the boatup again, rolling up the anchor, and setting sail. DJ was my friend. I could just get his alibi and be done with him. Without answering his question, I tookthe plunge just to get it over with.

"Where were you between the times of 5:00 and 6:30 on Saturday night?" I questioned, my tape recorder already rolling. DJ's eyes grew wide as he realized what I was doing.

"I went to dinner with Katie and my Mama." DJ responded, nodding at the memory. "Red Lobster. Mama stayed for three helpings of dessert, so we didn't end up leaving until 7."

"Katie can confirm that, correct?" The voice coming out of my mouth suddenly didn't seem like mine. It sounded hard, cold and careless. I sounded

like a lawyer.

I had already crossed DJ and Katie's names off of my list ofsuspects, because DJ never brought his mother into things unless he was telling

the truth.

"Sure can," He agreed, and the hideous camp Wawanakwa came into view. Tension was growing rapidly, and as soon as the boat came to a halt, I

jumped off. The place looked deserted, but I knew that couldn't be the case. Chris had set up his headquarters here a couple years back.

"Follow me," DJ's voice was tense and clipped, and I felt terrible being the one who caused him to be that way.

"So, how are you and Katie doing?" I broke the silence with a subject changing question.

"I'm actually planning on asking her to marry me." DJ's tone had completely melted into sweetness and love. I'd only heard his use that tone for his mother before. Apparently things had changed since then.

"That's amazing, DJ." I nodded, feeling genuinely happy for him. Wow. Katie and DJ. Who woulda thunk it?

"Don't you think you're a little young to get married? I mean, Katie is only twenty, and you just turned 21 two months ago, am I right?" I raised my

eyebrow, stepping over a fallen tree trunk.

"Katie and I are in love," DJ explained, leading me over some stepping stones in the river. "Sometimes, you just know it's right, and," DJ paused,

noticing the hurt that had flooded in my eyes. "I'm sorry, Courtney,"

"It's fine," I tried to assure him, but my voice cracked and a few tears spilled out of my eyes. Furiously, I wiped them with the back of my hand.

Emotions... All these damn emotions...

Before DJ could apologize again, the set came into view. I felt as if I'd stepped into a completely different world. The crew rushed around, yapping into cell phones or holding clipboards. I spotted Sierra and Cody by the trailer making out, as were Bridgette and Geoff. Chris was getting his makeup done, while an intern adjusted his wig for him. Izzy was hanging upside down on a tree branch, and Owen was below her, arms open wide, ready to catch his girlfriend. Eva was lifting Noah up and down like she was weightlifting, Trent was playing his guitar for his new girlfriend, Sadie (who was a completely different looking person now), Tyler and Lindsay we're staring lovingly at each other under a willow tree, and everyone else wasn't in sight.

"DJ, you're back!" Katie's annoying voice filled my ears as she latched herself onto DJ. "Oh," her eyes fell when she saw me, as if she was looking down on me in pity. "Hi Courtney, how have you been?" Her voice was awkward.

"Fine," I replied just as awkwardly. "If you excuse me, I've got to start interrogating other suspects. Thanks, DJ." Before DJ could reply, I set off

through the chaotic crowd, headed for Owen and Izzy. People stopped and stared when they saw me, some in pity, some like I had 5 heads.

"Take a picture, it lasts longer," I snapped at them and stopped in front of the duo just as the branch Izzy was swinging on broke and Izzy tumbled into Owens's arms. They kissed, and I wrinkled up my nose.

"Ah- hem," I interjected, my voice sounding so different than it usually did.

"Courtney? Is that you?" Owen questioned, and then laughed. "What's up with your hair, you look like a green and black skunk!"

"Izzy agrees!" Izzy nodded happily, climbing onto Owens's shoulders. I rolled my eyes, pulling out my authorization from my briefcase. A thick, puffy cloud passed in front of the sun, blocking it's light.

"It's an eclipse!" Izzy screeched, and began bouncing up and down. Suddenly, she began howling at the sky, and Owen wobbled ever so slightly before tipping over, sending Izzy flying through the air. She landed perfectly beside Owen, and I sighed. What the hell had I gotten myself into.

"Yes it's me," I replied finally, after being unable to get a word in edgewise before. This was going to be harder than I thought. "I need to ask both of you a few questions." my face suddenly was blank, no emotion evident. This wasn't a reunion anymore. This was all business.

The cloud floated away from the sun, allowing warm, bright sunlight to wash over the island. _What a beautiful day for an interrogation, _I thought grimly, feeling myself beginning to clam up. Mr. Hastings had been right after all, this wasn't a game of Clue.

Izzy cocked her head to the side in confusion. "Questions? Like, 20 questions?" she asked, her eyebrows knit together. Owen was looking me over skeptically, and he pulled Izzy closer to him in protection.

"I don't think that's what she means, Izzy."

"For once, Mr. Wells here is right. This isn't twenty questions, Miss. Maxwell, it's a police interrogation. You two are on the suspect list for the Duncan Hastings murder case." It felt weird calling my friends Mr. and Miss., but it had to be done.

"Mr. Wells." Owen chuckled, before regaining his composure.

"Courtney, don't you need some sort of authorization to interrogate us? I've been running from the cops long enough to know that." Izzy inquired, and I showed her my authorization.

"Well, would you lookie here," she tapped her finger on the paper, and then crossed her arms over her chest. "You are now permitted to interrogate," she saluted me, and I took her hand and pulled her into the nearest trailer, which was fortunately empty.

"Where were you between the times of 5:30 and 6:30," I began, and let the true lawyer in me completely shine through.

Eight suspects later, a frenzy broke out outside.

"We're on in one minute, everyone, one minute!" an intern yelled in my face, and I resisted the urge to slap her across the face. I gulped down the final swig of my double shot espresso, and walked towards the other contestants. They all grew silent when they saw me, and some even stepped away.

"What?" I questioned, and Lindsay screamed.

"Bad haircut!" she whimpered into Tyler's jock jacket. _Vapid idiot, _I thought, tossing my cup in the trash can. I was about to call her some other names, but Chris's annoying drawl came over the speakers.

"Hello viewing world and welcome to Total. Drama. Live!" Lindsay forgot about my bad haircut almost as fast as she'd noticed it, and began clapping excitedly. "Chip! Yay Chip!" she cheered, and Chris shot her a glance.

"I'm Chris McClean, your _amazing_ host," I half expected to hear Duncan make some immature remark about Chris and his hair gel, but then realized that a remark wouldn't come. "And if you're looking for a show with happiness, laughs and memories, then turn off your TV right now because this show has none of those," Chris chuckled. "If you're looking for a whole bunch of drama and tears, you've come to the right place, my friend. And it's all coming your way right after the break on Total. Drama. Live!"

**A/N: Its 12:25 right now and I feel like I'm going to pass out. But I pinky swore that I would get this chapter to you Sunday night, and I did, even if it is technically Monday right now! Anyway, this chapter totally sucks, I know, but the next one will be much better. Don't forget to review, all you have to do is press that pretty little button down there (: Well, thanks to all my readers! Bye!**

**XOXO,**

**behindthemasquerade **


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